Letters to His Children — 44. On Board U. S. S. Louisiana on the Way to Panama November 1906 - Pets On Shipboard, Names of the Guns, Reflections On The Way, Events Since Columbus's Discovery, Pride In America
PETS ON SHIPBOARD
In November, 1906, the President, accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt, went to the Isthmus of Panama, where he spent three days in inspecting the work of building the Panama Canal, returning by way of Porto Rico.
The journey was taken on the naval vessel _Louisiana_, and many of his letters to the children were written while on board that vessel and mailed after reaching Colon.
On Board U. S.
S.
_Louisiana_, On the Way to Panama.
Sunday, November 11, 1906. BLESSED QUENTIN:
You would be amused at the pets they have aboard this ship.
They have two young bull-dogs, a cat, three little raccoons, and a tiny Cuban goat.
They seem to be very amicable with one another, although I think the cat has suspicions of all the rest.
The coons clamber about everywhere, and the other afternoon while I was sitting reading, I suddenly felt my finger seized in a pair of soft black paws and found the coon sniffing at it, making me feel a little uncomfortable lest it might think the finger something good to eat.
The two puppies play endlessly.
One of them belongs to Lieutenant Evans.
The crew will not be allowed ashore at Panama or else I know they would pick up a whole raft of other pets there.
The jackies seem especially fond of the little coons.
A few minutes ago I saw one of the jackies strolling about with a coon perched upon his shoulder, and now and then he would reach up his hand and give it a small piece of bread to eat.
NAMES OF THE GUNS
On Board U. S.
S.
_Louisiana_, Sunday, November 11, 1906. BLESSED ARCHIE:
I wish you were along with us, for you would thoroughly enjoy everything on this ship.
We have had three days of perfect weather, while this great battleship with her two convoys, the great armored cruisers, _Tennessee_ and _Washington_, have steamed steadily in column ahead southward through calm seas until now we are in the tropics.
They are three as splendid ships of their class as there are afloat, save only the English Dread-naught.
The _Louisiana_ now has her gun-sights and everything is all in good shape for her to begin the practice of the duties which will make her crew as fit for man-of-war's work as the crew of any one of our other first-class battleships.
The men are such splendid-looking fellows, Americans of the best type, young, active, vigorous, with lots of intelligence.
I was much amused at the names of the seven-inch guns, which include _Victor_, _Invincible_, _Peacemaker_, together with _Skidoo_, and also one called _Tedd_ and one called _The Big Stick_.
REFLECTIONS ON THE WAY
On Board U. S.
S.
_Louisiana_, Nov.
13. DEAR KERMIT:
So far this trip has been a great success, and I think Mother has really enjoyed it.
As for me, I of course feel a little bored, as I always do on shipboard, but I have brought on a great variety of books, and am at this moment reading Milton's prose works, "Tacitus," and a German novel called "Jorn Uhl."
Mother and I walk briskly up and down the deck together, or else sit aft under the awning, or in the after cabin, with the gun ports open, and read; and I also spend a good deal of time on the forward bridge, and sometimes on the aft bridge, and of course have gone over the ship to inspect it with the Captain.
It is a splendid thing to see one of these men-of-war, and it does really make one proud of one's country.
Both the officers and the enlisted men are as fine a set as one could wish to see.
It is a beautiful sight, these three great war-ships standing southward in close column, and almost as beautiful at night when we see not only the lights but the loom through the darkness of the ships astern.
We are now in the tropics and I have thought a good deal of the time over eight years ago when I was sailing to Santiago in the fleet of warships and transports.
It seems a strange thing to think of my now being President, going to visit the work of the Panama Canal which I have made possible.
Mother, very pretty and dainty in white summer clothes, came up on Sunday morning to see inspection and review, or whatever they call it, of the men.
I usually spend half an hour on deck before Mother is dressed.
Then we breakfast together alone; have also taken lunch alone, but at dinner have two or three officers to dine with us.
Doctor Rixey is along, and is a perfect dear, as always.
EVENTS SINCE COLUMBUS'S DISCOVERY
November 14th.
The fourth day out was in some respects the most interesting.
All the forenoon we had Cuba on our right and most of the forenoon and part of the afternoon Hayti on our left; and in each case green, jungly shores and bold mountains--two great, beautiful, venomous tropic islands.
These are historic seas and Mother and I have kept thinking of all that has happened in them since Columbus landed at San Salvador (which we also saw), the Spanish explorers, the buccaneers, the English and Dutch sea-dogs and adventurers, the great English and French fleets, the desperate fighting, the triumphs, the pestilences, of all the turbulence, the splendor and the wickedness, and the hot, evil, riotous life of the old planters and slave-owners, Spanish, French, English, and Dutch;--their extermination of the Indians, and bringing in of negro slaves, the decay of most of the islands, the turning of Hayti into a land of savage negroes, who have reverted to voodooism and cannibalism;
the effort we are now making to bring Cuba and Porto Rico forward.
To-day is calm and beautiful, as all the days have been on our trip.
We have just sighted the highest land of Panama ahead of us, and we shall be at anchor by two o'clock this afternoon; just a little less than six days from the time we left Washington.
PRIDE IN AMERICA
On Board U. S.
S.
_Louisiana_, Nov.
14. DEAR TED:
I am very glad to have taken this trip, although as usual I am bored by the sea.
Everything has been smooth as possible, and it has been lovely having Mother along.
It gives me great pride in America to be aboard this great battleship and to see not only the material perfection of the ship herself in engines, guns and all arrangements, but the fine quality of the officers and crew.
Have you ever read Smollett's novel, I think "Roderick Random" or "Humphrey Clinker," in which the hero goes to sea?
It gives me an awful idea of what a floating hell of filth, disease, tyranny, and cruelty a war-ship was in those days.
Now every arrangement is as clean and healthful as possible.
The men can bathe and do bathe as often as cleanliness requires.
Their fare is excellent and they are as self-respecting a set as can be imagined.
I am no great believer in the superiority of times past; and I have no question that the officers and men of our Navy now are in point of fighting capacity better than in the times of Drake and Nelson; and morally and in physical surroundings the advantage is infinitely in our favor.
It was delightful to have you two or three days at Washington.
Blessed old fellow, you had a pretty hard time in college this fall; but it can't be helped, Ted; as one grows older the bitter and the sweet keep coming together.
The only thing to do is to grin and bear it, to flinch as little as possible under the punishment, and to keep pegging steadily away until the luck turns.
